Meet Our Hospice Physicians

Houston Hospice physicians focus on managing pain and symptoms that are unique to end-of-life care.

Our physicians are skilled in a wide range of specialties allowing them to to care for the needs of each patient and their family members. Specialties include hospice and palliative medicine, critical care medicine, family medicine, geriatric medicine, internal medicine, pulmonary disease and wound care.

Our highly skilled physicians play a role with each Houston Hospice interdisciplinary team. Teams are made up of patient case managers, registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, hospice aides, social workers, bereavement counselors, chaplains and volunteers. Working together with the patient’s primary physician, our hospice teams create a customized, holistic care plan to help patients and families live their best lives during their hospice journey.

Our mission is to provide uncompromising and compassionate end-of-life care to patients and families in our community.

Elizabeth Strauch, MD, FACP, FAAHPM
Medical Director, Vice President for Medical Affairs

Dr. Strauch received her undergraduate degree from Rice University and attended Baylor College of Medicine. She remained at Baylor for an internal medicine residency and subsequently completed a hospice and palliative medicine fellowship at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and The Hospice at the Texas Medical Center. She was an Associate Medical Director for The Hospice at the Texas Medical Center at the end of her fellowship in 1992. She became Vice President for Medical Affairs in 2000 and continued in that role after the merger with Houston Hospice in 2002.

Dr. Strauch is board certified in internal medicine and in hospice and palliative medicine. She is a clinical assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine and is a Fellow of both the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Syed Zubair Ahmed, DO, FACP
Team Physician

Dr. Ahmed is board-certified in internal medicine and completed a fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine at UTHealth Houston. He is pursuing a second fellowship in geriatric medicine. Dr. Ahmed trained as a resident in internal medicine at Corpus Christi Medical Center in Corpus Christi, Texas, and went on to gain experience as a hospitalist at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport in Louisiana. He graduated with a medical degree from the William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Gildardo Andres Ceballos, MD
Team Physician

A native of Colombia, Dr. Ceballos first earned his Doctor in Medicine at Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Senora Del Rosario University, Bogota, Colombia and later from The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. He is a member of Kaplan Medical Honor Society, an organization emphasizing the pursuit of excellence in medicine. Dr. Ceballos also serves as an internal medicine physician in the adult/geriatric clinic and inpatient service at OakBend Medical Center.

Gary Erwin, MD
Team Physician

A native of Houston, Texas, Dr. Erwin received his Doctor of Medicine from The University of Texas Medical Branch before serving as a Commander, U.S. Army – MSR Health Clinic SFEGUARD, Nekoma, North Dakota. He was awarded a United States Army Commendation Medal for Meritorious Services in 1974. Dr. Erwin served as chair of Infection Control, as a member of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, as a member of the Executive Committee and as chair of Hematology and Oncology for Houston Northwest Medical Center. Dr. Erwin previously served on the Houston Hospice board of directors.

Julia Reyser, MD
Team Physician

Dr. Reyser received her medical degree from Azerbaijan Medical University and completed postgraduate medical training at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston in the Department of Geriatrics and at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She serves as assistant professor of the Department of Medicine, Section of Geriatrics for Baylor College of Medicine and previously served as assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

Thuy Hanh Trinh, MD, MBA, FAAFP, FAAHPM, WCC
Team Physician

Dr. Trinh received her medical degree from Louisiana State University Health Science Center in New Orleans and trained in family medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. Following residency, she completed her geriatric fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine and her palliative medicine fellowship at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. She joined Houston Hospice in 2007 as a Team Physician and also serves as the Education Liaison.